Why learning a foreign language is awesome

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Physiological studies have found that speaking two or more languages is a great asset to the cognitive process. The brains of bilingual people operate differently than single language speakers, and these differences offer several mental benefits. Speaking a foreign language improves the functionality of your brain by challenging it to recognise, negotiate meaning, and communicate in different language systems. This skill boosts your ability to negotiate meaning in other problem-solving tasks as well. Students who study foreign languages tend to score better on standardised tests than their monolingual peers, particularly in the categories of maths, reading, and vocabulary.

4. You will know what words like dj vu, Perestroika,Tiananmen, smorgasbord, Zeitgeist, and macho REALLY mean.

5. You build multitasking skills

Multilingual people, especially children, are skilled at switching between two systems of speech, writing, and structure. According to a study from the Pennsylvania State University, this “juggling” skill makes them good multi taskers, because they can easily switch between different structures. In one study, participants used a driving simulator while doing separate, distracting tasks at the same time. The research found that people who spoke more than one language made fewer errors in their driving.

6. You become more perceptive

A study from Spain’s University of Pompeu Fabra revealed that multilingual people are better at observing their surroundings. They are more adept at focusing on relevant information and editing out the irrelevant. They’re also better at spotting misleading information. Is it any surprise that Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot are skilled polyglots?

7. When you travel abroad you will be able to talk to people in their language, thus experience up close and personal the local culture.

You’d think that after the years and years of associating with hundreds or thousands of people every day, it would be really easy to be able to talk to anyone you meet and communicate effectively. However, a large percentage of people have social anxieties and even those that do not have anxiety over social situations can still suffer nervousness or meet social barriers from other people. Communication is a vital skill for almost any profession, especially in any corporate job, be it sales or marketing. If you can’t connect with people in this day and age, your customers are quite happy to go elsewhere with their money. This means if you are no good at communicating, you’d better start learning fast.

8. You will understand the English language and culture better

Learning a foreign language draws your focus to the mechanics of language: grammar, conjugations, and sentence structure. This makes you more aware of language, and the ways it can be structured and manipulated. These skills can make you a more effective communicator and a sharper editor and writer. Language speakers also develop a better ear for listening, since they’re skilled at distinguishing meaning from discreet sounds.

9. You will become a more well-rounded WORLD CITIZEN.

Effective communication is really quite a difficult skill to learn, even if you think you’re already a good communicator. There are so many variables that can effect communication, which people often don’t really consider. These variables include both your skills at communication and also how receptive the other party is to communication at the time you try to talk to them. You could be the best communicator in the entire world but if the other party isn’t interested in communicating, you will hit a brick wall.